| SIRSI Corp. has announced that it has completed its acquisition of
Data Research Associates (DRA) for $51.5 million. The new SIRSI-DRA company
is now the second-largest vendor in the library automation industry, based
on number of installed systems, according to data compiled and published
in March. The combined company offers a wide range of library management
and public interface systems for all types of libraries, including the
Unicorn Library Management System, TAOS, the iBistro Electronic Library,
Web2, and the Hyperion Digital Media Archive.
Patrick C. Sommers, SIRSI's president, said: "We are very excited about
the new opportunities that this formidable combination oftalent and technology
will provide. SIRSI looks forward to working with our new colleagues to
continue our tradition of delivering the most technologically advanced
products and services in this industry."
Mike Mellinger, now chairman of the DRA subsidiary of SIRSI and a member
of the SIRSI board of directors, said: "[This] marks the beginning of a
new era in the library industry. The combined expertise and experience
of SIRSI and DRA will enable libraries worldwide to enjoy an unprecedented
array of leading-edge technology products and services."
Headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, SIRSI-DRA has approximately 400
employees and offices in St. Louis; Monterey, California; Victoria, Australia;
Montreal; Paris; and Singapore, as well as distributorships in China, Columbia,
Denmark, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, and the U.K. SIRSI-DRA systems
are installed in more than 10,000 libraries worldwide.
[Editor's Note: According to SIRSI representative Vicki Smith,
"SIRSI-DRA" is merely a working title—it isn't the new official name of
the company. Smith said that SIRSI "will continue to carry on business
as SIRSI" while its subsidiary DRA "will continue to function as DRA."]
Source: SIRSI Corp., Huntsville, AL, 256/704-7000; http://www.sirsi.com. |
